Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 42,929 complaints - component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 20, 2023
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the low beam headlights were significantly dimmed, diminishing the visibility of the roadway. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights were activated to safely drive at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the low-beam headlights were replaced, and the lenses were cleaned; however, ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
Randomly, when powering up the vehicle, the instrument cluster emits a very bright light on the left side only. This light cannot be dimmed or turned off with the lighting controls. As a result, driving at night is dangerous with a bright light stuck on directly in front the driver. Normal functionality is for a dim accent light to show on both sides of the dash (and is controllable via a dimmer)... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The design of the tilt and telescope steering column allows for an adjustment position that will cause the turn signal stalk to bind against the instrument panel trim with the steering wheel adjusted up and forward. This prohibits proper use of the turn signal and headlight dimmer functions. A clear design defect
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
Interior rear light constantly blinks spontaneously while driving. There is no control to turn this light on or off. I have scheduled repair with Tesla and they have not fixed the issue. When I drive at light I get distracted by the strob light effect effect of this blinking slight. It’s on land off for no reason whether I’m driving or parked with the car powered off and all doors locked.
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
The concern involves yellowing plastic headlights lenses on all vehicle manufacturers. Visibility is compromised while driving at night. Yes autobody repair shop replaced headlight assembly. No, certain plastic headlight cover lenses yellow/darken/frost with time or driving conditions
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
I have been having issues with the external low beams for the past 9months-1 year. They have progressively been getting more dim to now I can't even drive my car at night without using my high beams. I have replaced the bulbs and done headlight restoration without any improvement. There have been no warning lamps or messages on my car at all.
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
My electrical system is giving me constant issues and I have to change light bulbs frequently. Also the recall is for the fuel line system which the dealers are not contacting me back about getting repaired which is why I am submitting this report.
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
Headlight assembly both full of moisture. I bought the vehicle on this day an noticed them then and there are both full of moisture all over lenses.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
Per the mandated law in September of 2001 all vehicles sold in the United States are required to have a trunk release on the inside. The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe does not. The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe small SUV are very known for the lights to go out due to condensation in the tail lights. So needless to say it was built poorly as an owner like myself has to constantly change the tail lights or be rear-... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
I own a 2017 Acura RDX that I purchased new in 2017. My vehicle only has 45587 miles on it. I've noticed in this last year, that it is very hard to see at night. When driving at night I have to use my high beams to be able to see ahead and drive safely. Yesterday(10/16/2023) when driving home around 8:30 at night I was pulled over by a state trooper for driving with my high beams on. Luckily enoug... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
Controls for cabin temperature and media volume are not lit at night. Difficult to find and actuate without turning on the cabin lights and reducing the driver's view of the road. The power "button" (capacitive touch area, not a button) for the control/infotainment screen is immediately to the left of the temperature control and it is very common to turn off the screen when attempting to adjust ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the headlights failed to produce adequate light at night. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the bulbs, but the failure recurred. The contact called the dealer, who diagnosed that the casing needed to be replaced and the reflector had deteriorated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Headlights are so dim because of the plastic cover that is made into the OEM headlight assembly. The plastic apparently had no UV protectant and the plastic has turned dingey yellow and clouded where it's affected the light output from the vehicle
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
I am having electrical issues with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata plus the other recalls. It started as issues with the lights on the driver side. I have replaced several bulbs and the entire light even and still have issues with the lights working properly. Now the issue is the battery, alternator or the starter. The starter had to be replaced as I was advised by Hyundai dealership when my engine had to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
the lighting on the 2023 Defender 110 is not adequate, particularly at dusk and in the evening. The brightness control does not adjust for the brightness needed to see gauges. This is a safety risk.
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 17, 2023
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
at 13,540 miles, the drivers headlight started pointing to the ground instead of out front of the car. The headlight adjuster screw (inside the complete headlight assembly) had failed and was replaced under warranty. Then again at 35,250 mile the same thing happened again. Dealer claims GM will not do a goodwill warranty and wants $350-400 to take the headlight assembly off he car and send picture... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
The lights malfunctioned, by flickering and finally going out. Putting me and others at risk by not having my lights working properly. There were NO warnings, prior to the incident. It has happened numerous times, scaring me to death. I am 86 years old and wasn't prepared to have my lights go out and not be able to see where I was going, or if others could see me. It started in 2017 and has ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The lighting system allowed water to enter the lights, causing them to fail as they filled up (from bottom to top) to the point that they won't properly indicate running lights or brake lights. This failure has been slowly occuring over the course of 4 years until it now fails to pass the safety inspection.
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
1. A faint smell of fuel, occasionally, external of vehicle. 2. The headlights has a water fog mist inside of headlight lens. 3. The seats and car interior cracks easily. (Seats, arm rest and dashboard) etc.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
High beams do no turn on, however, the light indicator on the dash is on.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Both headlights failed, one earlier, then the second, on a cloudy night on an unlit, deserted rural stretch of interstate highway. Driver started slowing down from 60 mph, looking for a place to pull over. An accident resulted--only the defective car was involved. No airbag was deployed. The driver was injured. (Full recovery--months.) The car was totaled.
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 17, 2023
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
To Whom It May Concern. Please help me on this. I purchased a BMW x5 that needed recalls installed at the BMW dealer. I purchased the vehicle, performed routine preventative maintenance, new tires, new brakes, full detail, shampooed the interior, and full wash, etc. When I took my BMW to the dealer, the BMW dealer installed the recalled items, but did not install or replace the defective FRM foot... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 16, 2023
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
While night driving driver noticed the driver side headlight completly pointing down providing no visibility. Vehicle was brought into GM dealership where is was discovered the Driver LED headlight adjuster screw broken causing a safety issue, where the light beam pointed down. Vehicle light assembly is currently being inspected for replacement under manufacture warranty under 36,000 miles.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Backup camera is unusable do to the brightness on the screen.
FREIGHTLINER
CASCADIA
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 16, 2023
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
The headlights failed to provide enough light to see the road at night. This, of course, is dangerous when driving on the highway or country roads as we are unable to maintain the speed required on the highway in order to safely navigate the turns in the road, which could also cause a disruption in the traffic flow, possibly causing an accident if other cars were not expecting a slower vehicle on ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the low beam headlights were significantly dimmed, which affected the visibility of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Water continually builds up in the middle part of the tail lights. This is now making the lights in my tail lights go out. These are lights that can't be replaced without replacing the entire piece. I see this often on Dodge Durangos of my model and it's definitely an issue. I still cannot find out how water is getting in and it will continue to make more of my taillight go out.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
While driving today, this car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. it would not restart and it was puttering over and over and popping for no reason it was resulted in me being stranded in the middle of a busy arterial for three hours. I called roadside assistance to jumpstart the vehicle and within three minutes it did the same thing is shut down at the corner. I was able to get into a par... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
When the headlights are on Low, not High beam, there is a dark horizontal round area and vertical streak (shadow) in the illuminated area in front of the vehicle. The dark area looks like an a large dark basket ball. It is only the left headlight. This shadow area prevents full illumination of the roadway on the left side of the of the vehicle. This also is a distraction and causes the driver's ey... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The headlights begin to dim in December 2020. I finally had to replace headlamp unit: replace both leadlight assemblies on 12 March 2021 due to reflective chrome paint has worn/burnt away. Repairs costed $3,546.20. It is 15 October 2023 and the headlights are beginning to dim-out again. The Acura Dealership inspected my vehicle on 14 October 2023 and indicated that the headlamp unit need replacing... Read more
CONTINENTAL
EXTREMECONTACT SPORT
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 14, 2023
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
Motor failed and Kia replaced the motor. Now my dim lights and fog lights will not work. All fuse, relay, etc.. has been tested along with bulb replacement…
CONTINENTAL
EXTREMECONTACT SPORT
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 14, 2023
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
While changing one of the lights in the headlight housing, I found the wiring's insulation rotting off all the wires, exposing the bare copper presenting a fire hazard.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
In the middle of the night I attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot (with headlights on). I was unable to see the ground in the front/left portion of my car. It wasn't until I had almost completed the turn that my light was pointing towards the turn enough that I was able to see I turned a few feet early and was pointed at the curb. I ended up striking the curb with my front left tire... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The racetrack style light on the back of my vehicle has water buildup on the inside. It has started to burn out the light. The unit is still partially functional so it's not available for inspection. The left license plate light on my vehicle doesn't function due to the corrosion inside the connector as well. This is a safety risk due to other driver not being able to see my Vehicle clearly during... Read more
MITSUBISHI
GALANT
(2008) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 13, 2023
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The vehicle's LCD screen has become delaminated which causes the control of the radio, air conditioning, navigation, and other features controlled by the "radio" portion of the car to become dysfunctional. The car will randomly beep, change air temperatures, start navigation, cause the loss of hands-free communication. This is a safety hazard as it causes the driver to be distracted in order to at... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
Both high beams suddenly went out and are no longer working. Regular headlights are working though. This is a safety concern.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
The headlights in the "auto" position will turn on the headlights and then after 5 or so minutes of driving, the interior dash board will dim and brighten, and then the headlights turn off entirely. If you move them off the "auto" position, the headlights will not turn on even when switched to the headlights. When you switch back to auto, it puts the brights on instead of the standard headlights. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
While driving at night, headlights turn off.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The airbag light does not go out once the vehicle has been started and while driving.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
March 2020, Driver's side low beam lens cracked upon debris impact but still operated. Sealed outside with clear packing tape. July 22, 2023, ordered replacement LED headlights from Kaper II, they had said original lights are not available any longer. In investigating in January of 2023, found a recall for same problem on vehicles manufactured just prior to mine. Details of recall (RECALL CAMPAI... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
I turned my vehicle on and noticed the instrument panel screen was completely off. I tried to turn it off and on again and it stayed off. I had to drive home with no instrument panel. after 5 hours I turned on the truck and it finally came on
Incident date: Apr 29, 2020
I received a warning message : Right low beam light failure. I took the car to the deal and was quoted a price of $900.00 to replace the light. This is a safety issue and should not cost that much to replace a light. Searching the web, that is an average price for this type of repair???
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
At 95000 car had problem accelerating and then all of a sudden on the side of the road did that 2 had 2 engine rebuilds done no but the problem is still there and the fuses all look burnt and half my lights don't work.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
It has been over a year since a recall regarding the headlights was announced by Subaru with zero communication as to when the necessary fix would be made available. There has since been no communication other than telling everyone that if you do decide to buy aftermarket headlights and install that it would void your rights to the recall. We need this looked into before someone gets into an accid... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that he had noticed a crack in the rear tail light bar located at the top edge of the hatchback liftgate. The contact stated that he had not hit any objects and had not noticed any impact marks. The contact stated that the crack was located in the middle of the tail light bar. The contact stated that when it rains the hatchback tail light fills... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2023
High beams quit working I. Weather conditions and now high beams don’t work period and have to replace head light do to problem with assembly driver side and passenger side high beams don’t work
Incident date: May 5, 2023
Headlights are extremely dim. Huge safety hazard that GM should be held accountable for.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
The reflective surface inside the headlights has oxidized and no longer reflects at a safe brightness level. I have had the lenses cleaned and the bulbs replaced, but I still can barely see the road and can't drive my car at night until the entire headlight assemblies are replaced. This is not an easy task to do, and the assemblies are not inexpensive, Why isn't there a receall since this is a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. There was no further information provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more